Helmut Kohl was born on 3 April 1930 in Ludwigshafen.
His family was Catholic and patriotic.
He financed his studies in history by working as a stonemason. These studies led to a thesis in 1958.
In 1947 he became involved in politics and helped found a Christian Democratic youth organization in Ludwigshafen. He became a city councilor and then a member of parliament. His greatest political victory came in 1973, when he was elected to the federal presidency of the CDU.
Another political victory came on October 1, 1982, when he became Chancellor of the FRG.
He led Germany to reunification in 1990. He was also a convinced European, and was partly responsible for the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty and the euro.
Affairs marred the political career of Helmut Kohl, who admitted to having collected hidden donations. He had to resign as honorary president of the party. He withdrew from political life.
Helmut Kohl died on June 16, 2017, at the age of 87, in his hometown.
